A pharmacy tech who makes $ 12 an hour but drives a Mercedes . A rumor that a pharmacist may be trading sex for drugs . A prescription note with handwriting that 's a little too easy to read .

The Drug Enforcement Administration in Atlanta says all of these scenarios should leave pharmacy workers suspicious of illegal activity at their store . And they hope pharmacy employees -- or anyone , for that matter -- will report such activity to its new prescription drug abuse tip line .

The agency launched an initiative , TIP411 , this week to allow the public to quickly and anonymously report suspicious activity . Tipsters can text TIP411 , or 847-411 , and then use the keyword PILLTIP . The message will be forwarded to a DEA agent who will investigate .

Georgia is one of the first states in the country to try the texting effort . The city of Philadelphia is also experimenting with the program . Agents hope it will become a successful weapon to fight the war on prescription drug abuse , a war they feel they are losing .

`` It really is out of control here , '' said Rick Allen , director of the Georgia Drug and Narcotics Agency .

Prescription drug abuse is a national epidemic , according to the Centers for Disease Control . Overdose rates in the United States have more than tripled since 1990 , and prescription drugs are to blame for a number of those deaths .

The rise in overdoses parallels a 300 % increase in the sale of strong opioid painkillers since 1999 . In 2008 , prescription pain pills actually killed more people than all those who died from taking cocaine or heroin .

The pain pills , unlike cocaine or heroin , are often bought legally -- at least at first . Very few come from someone robbing a pharmacy .

Most abusers get the pills from a friend or family member who had the initial prescription . Only 2.3 % say they bought them from a drug dealer or stranger , according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health , which used 2010 data .

`` The illegal prescription drug market and relative ease of which pharmaceutical substances can be obtained has resulted in a sharp increase in prescription drug abuse , '' said Harry Sommers , special agent in charge of the DEA 's Atlanta division .

The issue can become an even bigger problem when the friend or family member runs out of the pills , according to Sommers . Then , often , people will either forge prescriptions from doctors or -- if they ca n't get access to legal drugs -- turn to another opioid like heroin , which is sometimes even easier to get .

With the announcement of the tip line , the DEA said it is sending education materials to 1,200 pharmacies in the Atlanta metropolitan area . The packet includes tip line information and a guide that points out suspicious signs to monitor .

The guide , a pamphlet , suggests that people get these drugs illegally by stealing doctors ' prescription pads or altering a legitimate prescription with a different callback number that can ring to an accomplice that would verify the prescription . Other tricks include people calling the pharmacy masquerading as doctors .

The pamphlet warns pharmacists to watch for customers who come back a little too regularly or people who come in with a prescription for a stimulant and a depressant at the same time . Often , abusers will seek both `` uppers '' and `` downers '' when they are addicted to prescription painkillers .

A prescription with all the words spelled out or with perfect handwriting is also suspicious , according to the DEA . Most doctors are in such a hurry , they will use abbreviations , and doctors are not typically known for neat handwriting .

The CDC suggests that pharmacists talk with patients about safely using , storing and disposing of prescription painkillers . It also recommends that health professionals consult their state 's prescription drug monitoring programs .

Sommers said he does n't think his agency will get a ton of tips through the new tip line , but he believes the tips it does get will yield good results .

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DEA creates a tip line to fight prescription drug abuse

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Painkiller abuse killed more people in 2008 than cocaine and heroin combined

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Georgia DEA hopes the tip line will be a model for the rest of the country